Steering gear



Patented Aug. 20, 1935 rare-@ewa.r

a STEERING GEAR B. Wickliffe .'wyman, Indianapolis, Ind., assigner'y to Lavine Gear Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a"` corporation of Wisconsin a v Applicatien-January 23, 1932, salalfNo. 588,304

, 25 Claims. (o1. wig-500)' This invention relates to improvements in steering gears. One of the most important objects o-f the invention is to provide a novel and limproved means for successfully increasing the mechanical advantage of the driving screw over 'the driven rock shaft in a steering gear in accordance with the displacement from the normal centralized posinon of the rock shaft. "It isfweu known that g as the displacement of the dirigible wheels of a vehicle'from their'normal forwardly directed position is increased, the resistance to turning or steeringmovement ofthe Wheel is correspondingly increased. YAccordingly steeringgears have beenY designed to provide increased advantage, but in the lpast theincrease in mechanical advantage hasfbeen quite largely absorbed through a :correspondingly increased friction.

Through the construction herein disclosed I have succeeded in making the increased mechani-v cal advantage ofthe mechanism at the extremes of its range of movement effective through'theuse of a rolling ball meshing with thevdriving screw and guided for rectilinear movement parallel to the axisfof the' screw. I am aware that other steering gears such for example as those shownin U; :SPatent 1,725,737V and 1,725,738 have attempted to employ a rolling ball to receive motion from a steering gear screw but inthe present device Ipropose rto render'the gearv less expensive and more effective by the use of,vv means guiding the ball Vfor rectilinear movement along a conventional cylindrical screw inA place of the special' concave spiral screw shown and required in the construction of said patents. k Y

vIt is a further very important object of the present invention to provide means whereby the driven balli is guided for its desired rectilinear movement directly from theY gear casing itself.

It is ralso my purpose'to-l provide, forv certain uses, a'simplied form v'of steering. gear in which a single ball moves axially of the screw and has a limited range of radial movement relatively to the driven rocker arm in the course of oscillation of said arm. In another embodiment of my in-k vention herein disclosed I provide a socket for the' ball in a slidevhaving' the desired radial move- 1 ment with respect to saidarnr. a, l ht is 'one of my objectives to enable steering as hereinafter disclosed. y

f In lthe drawing:

Fig. 1 shows ingenerally longitudinaljsection aV steering gear embodyingfthis invention;`

Fig. 2 showsthe gear'in .transverse section in the plane indicatedl at 2-2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional'view similar Ato Fig. 2 showl` ing a modified embodiment ofthe invention.

Fighe illustrates in perspective vthe disassociated parts employed in the constructionshown f in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5,is' a detailed'view in side velevation of a modified form of s'crewpwhioh may be used in the gears hereindisclosed. y

, Fig. 6 is a fragmentary'detail'in crosssection in the plane indicated at E 6 inv Fig. A2. v

Like parts. areiidentied bythe same reference v characters throughout the several views.

f Thegear casing .'l provides-thefusualbearings at'8qand 9 forthe steering gear screw,,worm, or

cam. I0 whichis mounted `upon and receivesmotion from the steering shaft H vin steering column I2." Bearingrneans is also provided in the casing at 1M for ,the'driven rock shaft l5 which carries ra rocker. arm Ipreferably enclosed-by Athe removableclosure ;|'l applied to the lside of the gearcasing.; y Y Y The thread .of the screw l0 is preferably not l prima machined Ato a. spherical cross section.,4 In lieu thereof, {theithread isymerelycut in a tapering formV anda suitable bearing surface for the ball 20; is rolledinto the threadVV at 2| by operating the thread ofthe vscrewlupona ball held theretoY under high pressure. ThusY a smooth accurately finished surface is provided at nominal expense in an otherwise conventional screwthreadxY v As ,above noted, itisimportant lto 1 the inven. tion that the single ball 20 whichmeshes with screw I0 shall be guided forlrectilinear movement parallel togthe 'axis ofv the rscrew..y Such'guidanceis achieved through the use' of ball carrier slides 22 and 23 inFigs. 2 and 3 respectively, each suchV slide! preferably having 'bearing directly upona portion of the casing 1. Suitable guide-l ways may be providedbyA machining the margins f of Yflanges 24 and 25 so that the slide's122 or 23 margins of said-flanges.

f In the construction shown .in Fig. ball .2B is heldin an opening `in theslide.plateZZl through which thefba'll projects for engagement directly with the rocker arm i6. Therocker armA has a radial groove 'at 26 lto receive theV ball and toY enable its thrust, derivedy from the screw, to be transmitted to the rocker arm'll by the oscillay tionwofrocker shaft l5. y In thecourse of oscillamay reciprocate freely .between the opposed y tion of the rock shaft, arm I6 will swing through an arc at right angles to that diametricalplane. of the driving screw Ii in which Vball 2B operates.

In the central position of arm l5 in which thev arm at which it is engaged by the ball. As above .f

noted, this has an importantly advantageous result in increasing the mechanical advantageiof the screw over the driven rock shaitl. Fur-V thermore, the use of the ball as herein disclosed,

serves to eliminate quitelargely the increased friction which would otherwise result from the transmission of motion to the rocker arm at such an angle of thrust as that in which the pressure ci the ball is necessarily applied.

As shown in Fig. G, the contact'betweenthe ball and screw is preferably (although not necessarily) limited to the one eighth portion ofthe spherical surface ofthe ball, ati each side thereof, which is closest tothemedian 4'planeof the ball paralleling the axis of theV screw., If icontactwere made outside` thisarea: the' thrusts'outward would exceed the thrustinthedirection of operation.` `Similarly Vthe contact .between the ball. andthe rolled surfaces atv the sides of the rocker` arm groove areipreferably limited tothe area nearest the: central planeator'nearwhich the ball is engaged by itsguide .1.platef'22. `A thrust bearing'or plunger 26a iscarriedzbythe closure il andis-preferably permanently 'ad` justed Vfor the desired r'runnngclearance ordegree of tightness oftheparts..` J

The construction shown in Fig. 3 is adapted for heavy dutyg Theballfslidel is Ysocketed otre-- cessedzinsteadrof being 4aperturedasis` the slide 22 in Fig. 2; In theFigure:3qconstructionthe ball itself does not'engage'thefrockerfarmbut, in-

stead, the thrust of the `ball :s'transmitted l through slide `23, trunnioniz 1 and ya, vsecondary slideV 29 j ournaled onthetrunnion' .and operating radially in a guide slot 30 of` arm I 6. Whereas slide 22.in Figure 2 performs'rne'rely :af ball .guiding function and transmits `no1-:gear'.thrusla uthe slide123 in Figure 3' is'thusfemployedfnot onlyto guide the ball i but also` toly transmit the thrust thereof to rocker arm I'B 'withgraduallyincreasing` mechanical advantage as fthe rocker-j armzi's displaced. C .f 1

In both embodiments of the invention steering is accomplished far-more easily thanvwthiany previously known y'gear,'due.infpart tothe Avrectilinear ball movement and intpart to the centralization 'ofall thrusts `on vor closelyiadjacent to the motion transmitting'ballwhich-isVV employed. It isparticularl'ytobe noted thatthe screw `is subjected tono greater loa'd than it would receivein a more -conventional's'teering gear design. The fact ltirati-the ballcarrier Vor guiding*4 slides take :their positionidirectly from the. casing-relieves the screw from any rexcess loading. r .Y u

The functioning of thegear'hereindisclosedis such that-economies may'beeifected in themanu-y facture of thes'crew Vby. a special construction in which muchv machining is eliminated. In `Fig# ure 5 I'have illustrated a .screw lil. 'comprisingra spool shaped vamemb'er. made up of a'spindle or shaft 32 vhaving radially notchediheads` 33. A spring rod is mountedinto a helix 34. preferably of slightly smallerv diameter than the :spindle vpor-- track is rolled into the convolutions and the helix Vv34 in the marmer previously described herein.

I claim: Y i l u .v 1. In a steering gear, the .combination with a screw and a member to receive motion therefrom, .of .means for communicating motion from said screw to said member including a ballmeshing with said screw, and an apertured guide confining said balll for movement upon a predetermined path` and through which said ball projects into engagementwith said member.

2. Ina steering gear, the combination with a .screw yand aY radially slotted rocker arm, of a ball meshedwith the thread of the screw and with the slot of the rocker arm.

-3. In a steering gear, the combination with a Vreciprocable between said screw and rockerV arm and provided-with an opening, a ball coniined within said opening and meshing with said screw, andmeans-onsaid rockeru arm providing a lradial track in which said ball isengaged. j

5. In a steering gear, thel combination Withfa ball, of -a screw meshing therewith having a taperedthreadrolled to provide a helical 4seat for said ball. j Q f 'd 6. -In'asteeringlgean the combination vwith a screw and a. membento be driven' therefrom, of a balleconnected with asaid,I memberk and. engaged between consecutive turns ofthe threads of said screw, saidv screwI being Yformed with a thread of suchsectiony as-ito7 contact' said ball only'` at such portions that-the thrust of the screw Yon the ball in thev course ofscrewrotation wiilfbe greater inthe directioncoir-the. axis of the screw than in the direction of .its radius.' v i 7.11711 -al-steering gear, the combination with a screw/f and a memberV to be 'driven therefrom, of a ball-, engaged with `saidmernber'and with outer peripheral `portions of` consecutive turns kof the thread ofi-said. screw, saidthread being relieved to Yclear said ball` except for said outer peripheral portions which .are shapedto contact isaidv ball within that one eight portion ofits peripheral surfacewhich, `at each side of said ball, lies most closely-adjacent to a medianzof said ball parallel'- facesspaced to engageonly 'those ball portions adjacent lthe central lmedian plane of said ballby the said screw and member.

V9. In a steering gear, the combination with a ball, oa screw meshing therewith having tapered thread-provided ateach side uponitsouter peing spaced from the ball:sovengaged.`

ripheral Vportions with a concave ball seat engagy ing saidV ball,lall.other portions of said screw being aflat innervface in binding1frictional pressure engagement with the spindle to iixedly anchor the helix to the Yspindle n in cooperation with the anchorage of itsends in the spindle heads, said helix having outervsurfaoes concavely conform-4 able to the surface of a motion transmitting ba-ll of a size adapted to be supported and actuated by the helix out of contact with the spindle.

23. In afsteering gear, the combination lwith j a screw and a longitudinallygroovedrockerV arm,

of an interposed carrier movable only along a line substantially parallel tothe axis 'of the screw and in a plane of direct thrust between the screw and c rockerarm substantially parallel with the axisof the rocker amr-swinging movement,vr andmeans guided by the carrier for transmitting` motion continuously in-said plane from-the screw to'the carrier androcker arm. l n

24. In a vstee1ing,';gear mechanism, -the comr bination vWith a driving worm cam and a rock shaft having an arm extending transversely along one side of the Worm cam in a position for swing.- ing movement in a plane substantially [parallel to the axis of the worm cam, of a. ball carrier interposed in the space between said worm cam and arm and supported for movement along a line parallel Vwith the axis of the worm cam, and ball means for transmitting motion from the Worm to the carrier and armin a resultant line of thrust substantiallyina plane parallel with the axis of the. rocksha'ftand includingthe axis of the Worm Y cam in all` positions of the carrier and arm.

rier in mesh with said screw.4 in motion trans-Y mitting relation to A'said arm, means comprising said guideway ,whereby the ball is held by the carrier substantiallyinithedirect line of thrust between the screw land carrier in all positions of the driven member, and a thrust bearing at the end of the rock shaft adapted to receive the thrust transmitted by V.said ball with substantially mini- Vvmum resistance torocking movement of the driven shaft and arm. f

` -B. `WICKLIFFE TWYMAN. 

